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Cook attended Blair event, now works for Blair supporter

Chris Blair gets a hug during his celebration party at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala in this Nov. 6, 2012 file photo. Blair won the Sheriff of Marion County Election over Bernie DeCastro.

Published: Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 6:14 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 6:14 p.m.

On election night last week, many well-wishers wanted to congratulate Sheriff-elect Chris Blair. But to some in attendance at his victory party, one guest stood out: Melissa Cook, the woman who launched the scandal that paved the way for Blair to win the race.

Cook attended Blair's celebration at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion on Nov. 6 and was greeted warmly by the man slated to become Marion County's top law enforcement officer in January, according to others who were there.

Cook's open, post-election support of Blair stunned some who were at the event. That's because Blair has publicly distanced himself from any involvement in the revelation of the sex scandal that wrecked the political aspirations and career of Dan Kuhn, the former Republican nominee who had defeated Blair in August.

Blair reiterated on Thursday that he did not know Cook before the primary and that there was no conspiracy to undermine Kuhn, as his political opponents and critics have alleged.

But while Blair denies the accusation that Cook was more closely tied to his camp than his campaign will admit, the critics' perception might be reinforced by another revelation: Ron Kolb, one of Blair's key supporters, recently hired Cook to be an independent contractor for his company, Neighborhood Communications, with whom Blair spent almost $10,000 in campaign advertising.

Kolb said the employment was not connected to her coming forward about Kuhn. Rather, he said, he had known Cook years ago and recognized her as a "leader in the business world" who needed a helping hand after she was fired in the wake of the scandal.

One attendee of the Blair victory party, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recalled sitting in disbelief as he watched Tommy Bibb, one of Blair's top advisers, hug Cook and lead her to the stage, where Blair was greeting supporters.

"All of a sudden she's there. It was weird," said the person, suggesting Cook's appearance confirmed "suspicions" that Blair knew Cook and that there had been a "plot" to undermine Kuhn.

During an interview, Blair said it was "absolutely not true" that he met with Cook the night of election, although he heard "rumors" that she had attended.

"I did not see her that night at the Livestock Pavilion. I don't know who she's running with, but it (the gathering) was open to the public," he said. "There's a lot of rumors. It's every day and you just can't control them.

"It's just a shame that people want to continue to hurt people, and these families and kids," Blair added. "We need to move on and do the right thing for the Sheriff's Office and the community."

In early October Cook went public with details of her extramarital affair with Kuhn, who won the August GOP primary with 53 percent of the vote.

Her revelation prompted Kuhn to abandon the general election contest against Constitutional Party candidate Bernie DeCastro and to quit his job as second-in-command at the Sheriff's Office.

The Marion County Republican Executive Committee subsequently installed Blair as the party's replacement nominee, choosing him over nearly a dozen other applicants.

On Nov. 6, Blair cruised to victory over DeCastro, capturing 72 percent of the vote.

Cook, formerly the principal at Hale Academy, alleged that her sexual encounters with Kuhn occurred at times he was on duty, and on occasion within the Sheriff's Office's headquarters.

In an interview with the Star-Banner, she accused Kuhn of dereliction of duty and misusing government assets, arguing that his liaisons with her made him unfit for office.

Cook and her husband, Wayne, also maintained that her coming forward was about Kuhn's supposed corruption and abuse of public trust — and not about specifically supporting Blair.

"If we had wanted for Chris Blair to win," Wayne Cook said in that Oct. 3 interview, "we would have went out with this before the primary."

"Logic dictates that we would have knocked Dan out before the primary," Melissa Cook added at that time.

Yet the Cooks were noticeable and vocal Blair proponents both before and after the primary election.

For instance, according to Blair's campaign finance reports, Wayne Cook contributed $20 to Blair's campaign in May, apparently after attending a fundraiser for the candidate.

A website posting announcing a June 21 debate for the sheriff's candidates at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Ocala indicates that the Cooks were among 131 people who attended.

Those close to Kuhn's campaign said Melissa Cook was at another candidate debate on Aug. 9 at the Marion Technical Institute, the last such event before the primary election.

Kuhn's supporters maintain that Blair's camp was going to have Cook reveal the affair to the public at that debate — something Blair's people have denied, maintaining they did not know specifics about the affair and because Blair himself had said he wasn't going to make Kuhn's indiscretion an issue without solid proof it had occurred.

After Ocala Magazine asked on Facebook in early August who should win the Republican sheriff's primary, Wayne Cook responded with a post on Aug. 13, the day before the election: "The Cooks are behind Blair all the way!"

After Blair lost, Melissa Cook continued to demonstrate her support for Blair.

She attended the open celebration Blair had at a local restaurant on Oct. 10, the night the local REC placed him back on the ballot, according to others who were there.

Blair, as on previous occasions, adamantly maintained on Thursday that he did not know the Cooks before the Aug. 14 primary.

He has publicly acknowledged that he spoke with them about Kuhn roughly a month after the election, when they spelled out details of Melissa Cook's relationship with Kuhn.

Blair also has admitted to subsequently steering them to Ocala lawyer Charles Holloman, who worked with the Cooks in bringing the details about Kuhn to Sheriff Ed Dean, and eventually to the public.

Blair noted that Cook popping up at his events feeds the perception raised by his critics, but he added that he has little control over his own supporters.

"I'm going to be the next sheriff of Marion County and I need to do what I need to do," he said.

"If she's running with other people, I should bring it to their attention and it's not a good appearance."

Likewise, Kolb rejected the idea that Cook — who was hired as an independent contractor, paid on commission, as an associate publisher overseeing two publications in Citrus County — was brought on board as thanks for helping to reveal Kuhn.

"This was not a Chris thing. It wasn't a campaign thing," Kolb said. "She's gets the job done, she's a professional and she has a lot of potential.

"That theory is not accurate. None of that stuff is real," Kolb added of a quid pro quo for Cook.

"I understand it looks like that. But she should be able to work. She had lost her job and she should be given an opportunity to build a life. That's what we do."

<p>On election night last week, many well-wishers wanted to congratulate Sheriff-elect Chris Blair. But to some in attendance at his victory party, one guest stood out: Melissa Cook, the woman who launched the scandal that paved the way for Blair to win the race.</p><p>Cook attended Blair's celebration at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion on Nov. 6 and was greeted warmly by the man slated to become Marion County's top law enforcement officer in January, according to others who were there.</p><hr />
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<hr /><p>Cook's open, post-election support of Blair stunned some who were at the event. That's because Blair has publicly distanced himself from any involvement in the revelation of the sex scandal that wrecked the political aspirations and career of Dan Kuhn, the former Republican nominee who had defeated Blair in August.</p><p>Blair reiterated on Thursday that he did not know Cook before the primary and that there was no conspiracy to undermine Kuhn, as his political opponents and critics have alleged.</p><p>But while Blair denies the accusation that Cook was more closely tied to his camp than his campaign will admit, the critics' perception might be reinforced by another revelation: Ron Kolb, one of Blair's key supporters, recently hired Cook to be an independent contractor for his company, Neighborhood Communications, with whom Blair spent almost $10,000 in campaign advertising.</p><p>Kolb said the employment was not connected to her coming forward about Kuhn. Rather, he said, he had known Cook years ago and recognized her as a "leader in the business world" who needed a helping hand after she was fired in the wake of the scandal.</p><p>One attendee of the Blair victory party, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recalled sitting in disbelief as he watched Tommy Bibb, one of Blair's top advisers, hug Cook and lead her to the stage, where Blair was greeting supporters.</p><p>"All of a sudden she's there. It was weird," said the person, suggesting Cook's appearance confirmed "suspicions" that Blair knew Cook and that there had been a "plot" to undermine Kuhn.</p><p>During an interview, Blair said it was "absolutely not true" that he met with Cook the night of election, although he heard "rumors" that she had attended.</p><p>"I did not see her that night at the Livestock Pavilion. I don't know who she's running with, but it (the gathering) was open to the public," he said. "There's a lot of rumors. It's every day and you just can't control them.</p><p>"It's just a shame that people want to continue to hurt people, and these families and kids," Blair added. "We need to move on and do the right thing for the Sheriff's Office and the community."</p><p>In early October Cook went public with details of her extramarital affair with Kuhn, who won the August GOP primary with 53 percent of the vote.</p><p>Her revelation prompted Kuhn to abandon the general election contest against Constitutional Party candidate Bernie DeCastro and to quit his job as second-in-command at the Sheriff's Office.</p><p>The Marion County Republican Executive Committee subsequently installed Blair as the party's replacement nominee, choosing him over nearly a dozen other applicants.</p><p>On Nov. 6, Blair cruised to victory over DeCastro, capturing 72 percent of the vote.</p><p>Cook, formerly the principal at Hale Academy, alleged that her sexual encounters with Kuhn occurred at times he was on duty, and on occasion within the Sheriff's Office's headquarters.</p><p>In an interview with the Star-Banner, she accused Kuhn of dereliction of duty and misusing government assets, arguing that his liaisons with her made him unfit for office.</p><p>Cook and her husband, Wayne, also maintained that her coming forward was about Kuhn's supposed corruption and abuse of public trust — and not about specifically supporting Blair.</p><p>"If we had wanted for Chris Blair to win," Wayne Cook said in that Oct. 3 interview, "we would have went out with this before the primary."</p><p>"Logic dictates that we would have knocked Dan out before the primary," Melissa Cook added at that time.</p><p>Yet the Cooks were noticeable and vocal Blair proponents both before and after the primary election.</p><p>For instance, according to Blair's campaign finance reports, Wayne Cook contributed $20 to Blair's campaign in May, apparently after attending a fundraiser for the candidate.</p><p>A website posting announcing a June 21 debate for the sheriff's candidates at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Ocala indicates that the Cooks were among 131 people who attended.</p><p>Those close to Kuhn's campaign said Melissa Cook was at another candidate debate on Aug. 9 at the Marion Technical Institute, the last such event before the primary election.</p><p>Kuhn's supporters maintain that Blair's camp was going to have Cook reveal the affair to the public at that debate — something Blair's people have denied, maintaining they did not know specifics about the affair and because Blair himself had said he wasn't going to make Kuhn's indiscretion an issue without solid proof it had occurred.</p><p>After Ocala Magazine asked on Facebook in early August who should win the Republican sheriff's primary, Wayne Cook responded with a post on Aug. 13, the day before the election: "The Cooks are behind Blair all the way!"</p><p>After Blair lost, Melissa Cook continued to demonstrate her support for Blair.</p><p>She attended the open celebration Blair had at a local restaurant on Oct. 10, the night the local REC placed him back on the ballot, according to others who were there.</p><p>Blair, as on previous occasions, adamantly maintained on Thursday that he did not know the Cooks before the Aug. 14 primary.</p><p>He has publicly acknowledged that he spoke with them about Kuhn roughly a month after the election, when they spelled out details of Melissa Cook's relationship with Kuhn.</p><p>Blair also has admitted to subsequently steering them to Ocala lawyer Charles Holloman, who worked with the Cooks in bringing the details about Kuhn to Sheriff Ed Dean, and eventually to the public.</p><p>Blair noted that Cook popping up at his events feeds the perception raised by his critics, but he added that he has little control over his own supporters.</p><p>"I'm going to be the next sheriff of Marion County and I need to do what I need to do," he said.</p><p>"If she's running with other people, I should bring it to their attention and it's not a good appearance."</p><p>Likewise, Kolb rejected the idea that Cook — who was hired as an independent contractor, paid on commission, as an associate publisher overseeing two publications in Citrus County — was brought on board as thanks for helping to reveal Kuhn.</p><p>"This was not a Chris thing. It wasn't a campaign thing," Kolb said. "She's gets the job done, she's a professional and she has a lot of potential.</p><p>"That theory is not accurate. None of that stuff is real," Kolb added of a quid pro quo for Cook.</p><p>"I understand it looks like that. But she should be able to work. She had lost her job and she should be given an opportunity to build a life. That's what we do."</p><p><i>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or bill.thompson@starbanner.com.</i></p>